


Masks

by still_lycoris



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 10:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/still_lycoris/pseuds/still_lycoris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Avon doesn't believe in displaying emotion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Masks

Avon had always found it difficult to cope with obvious displays of emotion.

They were just so embarrassing and pointless and worse, you were then supposed to pretend that you _cared_ about whatever they cared about. As Avon generally didn’t, he found that rather difficult to put up with. He was aware that this was the wrong reaction but as he had quickly come to the conclusion he didn’t particularly _want_ people to like him, it didn’t seem much of a loss to refuse to join in with this nonsense. He didn’t see any reason to put on a mask of emotion just to interact with people. They could just put up with him.

When he tried to explain it to Anna, she laughed.

“What?” Avon demanded. “Why is that funny?”

“Oh, Avon.” She shook her head. “I have never met anybody more covered by a mask than you. Never displaying any emotions doesn’t mean you aren’t wearing a mask, it just means you’re wearing a totally different mask. You hide everything from everybody.”

Avon wasn’t sure what to say to that. He supposed it was true – Anna often said things that were true about him and didn’t seem to care when he found them annoying. Probably she was right about this too. He didn’t think it exactly _mattered_ , only that it was … odd, when she was right about him so often.

“I’d rather show an emotionless mask than give up what I’m thinking all the time. Especially if it will mostly be an act anyway. I don’t see the need to lie.”

“It’s off-putting,” Anna said, shaking her head. “I never know what you’re thinking. Sometimes I wish you’d show me … something. It’s hard, working with a person who’s always hiding. I believe that you aren’t hiding anything that matters but it’s still disconcerting.”

Avon looked away.

“We should get back to work.”

“Oh Avon.” She sounded rather sad now. “All right.”

He wanted to show her. He wanted to show her that he cared, that he was feeling things for her that he’d never felt for anybody else, that more than anything he wanted to kiss her –

But they were supposed to be working together, it was beyond stupid to get involved when you were meant to be basically business partners and besides, if she didn’t feel the same, it would be uncomfortable for both of them. Best to stay hidden, best – 

“There,” Anna said and touched his cheek with one finger. “You were feeling something then, weren’t you?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Your cheek twitched.” She smiled wryly. “Not that I know _what_ you were feeling but at least I can tell when you’re actually having an emotion now. Progress, yes?”

And she laughed at herself rather than at him and her fingers were still on his cheek and before he could think, before he could remind himself of everything that he’d just thought, he had leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. And he tried to recoil instantly but her hand moved up to catch the back of his neck, hold him just a few centimetres from her lips.

“Avon. Was that real? Or an act?”

“Real,” he whispered and then they were kissing, frantic, desperate kissing and her mouth was so _soft_ and Avon knew they wouldn’t be doing any work for some time and he was glad of it because he wanted to show Anna _everything_.

And it was years before he found out that probably, it had all just been an act.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2013 livejournal 12dayschristmas challenge.


End file.
